carb boot removal ?

[north49]

Hi world......thanks for the advice on carb rebuilds!! The most difficult task to date is TRYING to remove the carb boots from the head to replace the O-rings. Anybody have a clever way to get those screws out?? There isn't enough room in there to wack an impact driver and a screw driver isn't gonna work. I don't care if the screws are ruined by removal....they can be replaced...but I gotta get the little buggers out first !!
All coments appreciated.
cheers
Les

[Nessism]

Use vice grips and clamp down on the outer screws and break them loose. Once you get the outer screw out, grab the entire carb boot and turn it counter-clockwise to break the inner screw loose. Works like a charm. Needless to say, ditch the phillips head screws and replace them with either cap head or allen head screws when you go to put everything back together.

[themess]

I spent $15 on a 1/2" drive pneumatic air wrench on Ebay, and used the Phillips bit from the hammer-type impact wrench. All of the screws came out efforlessly.

Another popular suggestion is to use a Dremel Mototool with a cut-off wheel to make a slot that a big, flat screwdriver blade can fit in.

I believe that most people switch from Phillips screws to socket-head cap screws after going through this mess.

Steel bolts in aluminum will always corrode, due to the difference in composition (see Electromotive Series in introductory chemistry book). This is less of a problem if you spend a couple buck more on stainless fasteners. It is useful to separate the two with anti-seize compound, rate for high temperatures. Permatex 133K. Anti-seize compound is also suposed to be used when torquing fasteners.

[ptm]

If the vice grips and twisting the boot doesn't work, try taking the phillips head socket out of the the impact driver, put it in the screw head and hit it a few times with a hammer - it's short enough so you can get enough of a swing. Don't hit it TOO hard, you don't want to break anything. Then try the vice grips or regular screwdriver. Sometimes the shock of the hammer hit can help break it loose.

[Casino Joe]

I used a 12" long 1/2" socket extension with a "wobble" drive end attached to my impact driver.
It gave me just enough clearance and angle to get a good whack on the the driver and pop the screws loose.
When I installed the new boots and O-rings I used stainless steel allen head cap screws with a flat washer to prevent the screw head from tearing into the rubber surface.
Actually I replaced every screw in my engine and carbs with stainless allenheads so I never have to use the impact again.\\/

[fgh]

I used a small cold chisel. First you hold it square to the screw head a put a small cut in it. Then you turn the chisel so as you tap it the screw turns out. Mine had to go about 1/4 of a turn and then the came out by hand. First put a little PB Blaster on them and then a little WD-40.